Report: Apple Devices In Most U.S. Homes

3/30/2012 11:49 AM ET

Apple has planted its way into most U.S. households, according to a CNBC survey.

CNBC's All-America Economic Survey found that slightly more than half of all U.S. households, or 51 percent, are the proud owners of least one Apple gadget. In other words, more than 55 million American homes own at least one iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac computer.

The survey results mark a huge turnaround for Apple Inc. (AAPL), which just 15 years ago was almost non-existent, but is currently the world's most valuable company.

More households will soon be joining the Apple bandwagon, according to the survey. One in ten homes that are currently not in the Apple owners group plan to join it next year.

The survey shows that Apple has a loyal and dedicated fan following. Homes that own at least one Apple product owns an average of not just one, but three Apple gadgets.

While an average household owns 1.6 Apple devices, about 25 percent of the households plan to buy at least one more Apple product in the next year.

The survey results also show that a typical Apple buyer is usually male, college-educated and younger. Persons owning an Apple gadget declines with age.

Apple does not have to worry about the generation gap, if one were to go by the survey results. Sixty-one percent of households with children own Apple devices, compared with 48 percent of homes without kids.

Apple also seems to be associated with increasing affluence. Just 28 percent of households making less than $30,000 a year own at least one Apple product, compared with 77 percent of those making more than $75,000.

CNBC polled 836 Americans by landline and cellphone from March 19 to 22. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.

The stunning evolution of Apple can be almost fully credited to its co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011. Jobs became the backbone of Apple since he returned to the company some fifteen years ago.

Apple was really non-existent at that time, but Jobs transformed it from an only-a-computer maker, to developing portable music players, multimedia phones, and pioneers in the tablet computers.

Earlier this month, Apple's shares breached the $600 mark for the first time. Apple's continued stronghold on the smartphone and tablet market, its stupendous growth in earnings and revenue, and the cash horde it possess are some of the reasons why analysts' continue to expect Apple stock to rise.

However, all's not well with Apple on the labor front. An investigation by Fair Labor Association on the working conditions at Apple's Chinese supplier Foxconn found contravention of several Chinese labor laws, including excessive working hours, unpaid overtime and inferior safety conditions.

Foxconn has now reportedly pledged to reduce hours and increase wages in the wake of accusations that it has violated labor laws.

In Friday's session, AAPL is trading at $601.99, down $7.87 or 1.29 percent on a volume of 12.26 million shares.